Police report increase in armed robberies

LAS CRUCES — One of the co-owners of Smokin Supply spent part of Tuesday morning arranging to have the surveillance equipment at his business, a local smoke shop, repaired.

"It's getting fixed right now," he said.

Unfortunately for him, that came a day too late.

On Monday night a man armed with a black handgun walked into the Solano Drive smoke shop and robbed it without saying a word, according to a Las Cruces Police Department report. The owner requested anonymity due to the nature of the crime.

That incident is the latest in a recent rash of armed robberies reported to police. Since Nov. 16, four businesses and two individuals have been robbed at gunpoint.

"There has been an uptick in the reports" of armed robberies lately, LCPD spokesman Dan Trujillo said.

Advertisement

He said detectives are still investigating, and it's uncertain if any are related.

"Each case is unique in itself," he said. "Many times there are no similarities."

There are, however, some broad similarities among some recent cases. In the past week two smoke shops have been robbed.

Police responded to an armed robbery call at SubHERBia2, also on Solano Drive, on Dec. 3, according to a report. That wasn't the first time. Last February, an employee of that smoke shop was shot as he sat in his 1993 Chevrolet Caprice after getting off work. He died attempting to flee, and the car eventually rolled in a nearby neighborhood. Suspects in that case are awaiting trial.

Local smoke shop owners said they try to prepare to combat crime, as burglaries and robberies are known issues for that type of store. The suspects in last year's deadly robbery had stopped by another smoke shop with intent to rob it, but determined it was too crowded, investigators said.

"It's the demographics of the people we cater to," a co-owner of Smokin Supply said. "They're all not on the up and up."

In November, the co-owner said somebody burglarized his store, cutting power and communication lines at the time. He said he had those fixed immediately, but the surveillance still wasn't working correctly last night during the armed robbery.

She said the business has reported break-ins, but never armed robbery. Michels credits the design of the building, noting that it's drive-thru only, featuring a small window surrounded by cameras. That vigilance goes beyond equipment and architecture.

Shortly after a brief phone interview with a Sun-News reporter, Michels called the Sun-News back to verify the validity of the conversation — she said she wanted to ensure somebody wasn't posing as a reporter to case her shop as a potential place to rob.

Business owners or employees don't necessarily need to be that thorough, but Trujillo recommends that any business should have at least two people working at all times, have an alarm system in place and surveillance cameras if possible. He said that type of call generates an "immediate response" from LCPD.

James Staley may be reached at 575-541-5476. Follow him on Twitter @auguststaley

Suspect details

Here's a look at some recent robberies reported to LCPD. The description of events and suspects comes from police news releases or reports.

Go to lcsun-news.com for a map accompanying this story that shows the location of these recent robberies reported to Las Cruces police

Monday, shortly after 10 p.m.

— A man walked into Smokin Supply on Solano Drive, pointed a black handgun at the clerk, gestured his demand for money without speaking, then fled into a nearby alley. He was described as Hispanic, about 5-foot-7, with a thin mustache. He was wearing a brown jacket, denim overalls and covered his face with pantyhose.

Dec. 3, shortly after 8 p.m.

— Two men entered SubHERBia2 on Solano Drive, threatened an employee with what appeared to be a handgun and demanded cash. They were last seen wearing black, hooded sweatshirts and running east on May Avenue. Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 award.

Nov. 27, about 8:15 p.m.

— A man entered Subway on Utah Avenue. With a handgun drawn, he shouted at one of the employees, "Give me the money or I'm gonna blast you." He made the employee lie down on the ground before taking cash and running out the door. He was wearing a maroon, hooded sweatshirt over a long, white T-shirt, blue jeans and white shoes. The robber's sweatshirt appeared to have "New Mexico State University" written on the front in small white lettering.

Nov. 27, about 3 p.m.

— A man approached a 17-year-old sitting on a bench at the Benavidez Center on McClure Road. The man pointed a black handgun at the teen, demanded and took several items, then struck the teen on the head. The teen was not seriously injured. The suspect was described as a Hispanic man, approximately 5-5 and 150 pounds. He was wearing a blue and white long-sleeve shirt and brown pants. The suspect was driving a 1980s or 1990s brown SUV, believed to be occupied by another man and two women. Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 award.

Nov. 17, about 5 a.m.

— A man jumped out of a Toyota 4Runner on the corner of Alameda Boulevard and Madrid Avenue, pointed a black handgun at a bicyclist then demanded his wallet. The suspect is described as 5-10 to 6-feet with a thin build. The Hispanic man with a light coplexion was wearing a black leather jacket and gray knit cap.

Nov. 16, shortly before 9 p.m.

— Two men walked into a Family Dollar store on El Paseo Road, each brandishing a gun, and demanded cash from an employee. Wearing white gloves, they took money from the register and ran. Witnesses described both suspects as around 5-5, with thin to average builds. Both had light complexion, a mustache and goatee. One of the suspects was wearing a black hoodie. Detectives believe someone drove suspects to the store, parking a dark-colored car, possibly a Nissan Altima, at a nearby business while the crime was committed. Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 award.